By MaryHelen Swanson

It may have been cold outside, but in the Chisago County boardroom last Wednesday, it was warm and getting warmer as the room filled with people on issues from prevailing wages to the County Road 84 closure.
When the seats in the room filled, a large group huddled outside the doors, some 50 or so, specifically there on the prevailing wage issue.

The county board, having been asked last fall to consider a resolution requiring contractors hired for county jobs to pay prevailing wages, had before them that very resolution for adoption.
And it was - adopted that is - unanimously.

But not before a public hearing at which numerous local workers talked of the need for a better wage to keep people in the county and provide a livable wage.

One speaker passed on information from Lakes and Pines that says a family of four needs an income of $48,000 just to deal with basic living.
Thatís 1,252 hours of work. It takes many hours worked beyond that amount for a family, he said, to purchase anything else.

It was noted that the county is already paying prevailing wages for any federal and state aid projects.
People could work here instead of going to the cities, said many.
The quality of work will be better, said others.

Parents will have more time for volunteer activities with their children, said another, if they donít have to drive to the cities to work.

It will benefit the local economy, said another, strengthening businesses.
But one speaker, a non-resident, encouraged the board not to adopt prevailing wage because of the way it is calculated.

From his experience on the North B ranch school board, Commissioner Rick Olseen said he believes prevailing wage does encourage better quality workmanship.

He made the motion to adopt the resolution. It states that ìprior to the award of any Chisago County construction contract, the cost of which is estimated to exceed $100,000, the contractors will agree that employeeís and subcontractor employees who fall within any job classification established and published by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry shall be paid, at a minimum, the prevailing wage rates as certified by the department.î

In the hallway there was applause.

ECSWC amendment approval delayed
An amendment to the joint powers agreement with four other counties, known as the East Central Solid Waste Commission (ECSWC), remains unsigned after significant discussion last week.

Originally signed last January by then board chairman Mike Robinson, it was deemed void by a Washington County attorney when it was learned last fall that the board had not formally approved the amendment.
The amendment would remove a sunset clause for the joint powers commission and cause an increase in Chisago Countyís allocated payment when county population increases with every census.
Commissioner Ben Montzka believes it will be costly to the county to adopt the amendment and continue as part of the joint powers. He also believes the county should not compete with private business.

Commissioner Bob Gustafson, who sits on the ECSWC board, believes the county will be in good shape, and will start to reap the benefits of being in the joint powers when the original sunset date, Jan. 1, 2008, comes around.
County Attorney Katherine Johnson would not recommend approval of the amendment, however, without some kind of sunset.

Gustafson noted that no one on the current board was seated when the joint powers was created in 1988. Currently Chisago County pays 28 percent of the costs, through a formula that works off population.
When the board was unable to come to a consensus on the amendment adoption, the issue was tabled to Feb. 23 to have solid waste director Gary Noreen provide more information on the future of waste in the county and to address attorney Johnsonís concerns about the sunset date.

County Road 84
During the public forum, a number of citizens living near the Polaris facility in Wyoming on either side of the now-closed CR 84, expressed displeasure with the closing of the quarter-mile stretch of the road.
For some, it meant more time accessing family on the other side, more time getting to work or getting kids to day care, one even said the children had to go to a different school district.

For others, the blockage of emergency services was a bigger issue.
Long-time resident Curtis Lendt said closing the road has caused problems all around. Keep it open, he said, he didnít see any sense in closing it.

But the Wyoming city administrator read a letter detailing the process of closing of the road and the countyís part in it. She noted that if the county reversed its decision (turning it over to Wyoming) and it was re-opened, causing Polaris not to purchase the southern property of the former waste water treatment facility, Wyoming could and probably would sue the county.

One adjoining property owner supported the road closure.
Montzka remained concerned about the emergency vehicles. He wanted board support for a meeting between him and Polaris and Wyoming officials.

But a vote to allow Montzka to conduct such a meeting failed 3-2 with Robinson, Gustafson and Commissioner Lynn Schultz opposed.

Robinson told Montzka he could hold the meeting without the boardís direction.
After the meeting Montzka said he wished he had the authorization of the board to be part of any such meeting. His main concern, he said, is the issue of emergency traffic.

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